Brian Sandoval ran for governor of Nevada promising an end to furloughs and a better lot for state workers. As a state worker, I pay attention to his promises in this regard, and so far, he’s a dismal failure at the face value of his statement. That may be the problem, that Sandoval didn’t mean what the words he spoke meant to us. He may end furloughs at zero benefit to the State employees, or at least to those of us who “report” directly to him. Like so many other topics in politics, there is clearly more to the story than we see at face value.
The problem with the decision in the first place was how they decided to attack it. Governor Gibbons decided to, rather than cut our pay outright, institute a furlough program. He sold it to us as “at least you get 12 days off extra vacation”. The problem was that they were spread evenly every month and so were not necessarily useful to us. When Sandoval changed it two years ago to a 2.5% cut and six furlough days, that was the first problem because now we were basically working six days for free (not really, but that’s how some people chose to see it). At least I could schedule them whenever I wanted, and so I did so during the winter closure when there’s nothing to do anyway, so I could take a trip, something we could not do before. Now, Sandoval will abolish the furlough program. It means we can now earn overtime, but it will be seen as 12 days we work for which we are not paid. It was done backwards.
Local news ran a story last week about the governor’s attempts to work contrary to the legislature. As the Senate works to pass a bill that ends furloughs and restores pay, the governor’s spokesman says he wants to end the furlough and do what sounds like capping our pay at current levels. I haven’t had a raise since 2009, and I do more work than people with more longevity. It’s not about merit in my group. Meanwhile, after the school district teachers won a pay increase last year and as the tenured faculty will see their furloughs go away, Sandoval found a way to give $300M to the county school district for a vague list of programs but can’t find the money to restore our pay. Which side he takes will show me who he really values, and I find it appalling that he will cowtow to the school district over the state employees. He’s the executive of the state, and I cannot think of any other state executive except for Jerry Brown (D-CA) who cut his own bureaucracy to prop up other ones.
The article is big on some deals and short on others, and some of the dots just don’t connect. The woman cited in the article claims she has lost over $7000 since the furlough program. If you do the math, that would put her at a salary of $140,000 in the unemployment office accounting for 5% total paycuts. If the reporter had done due diligence, they would have found there is more to the story. At TransparentNevada.com, she is listed in 2010 as having a pay of $35,335.89 with $1,419.54 in overtime or other pay and an unexplained deduction of ($815.52) in salary adjustments. The only people I know who have these types of adjustments are people who take leave without pay (which is no longer authorized). Look at the data for 2011, and it does not add up to fit the standard details. There’s more to the story. A 5% reduction amounts to an expected base pay of $33569, but she received only $29,565.04 with $2.55 overtime, and again an unexplained salary deduction for ($1,213.20), which again looks like leave without pay. It looks to me like she isn’t working a full time position, and that’s not the governor’s fault, not to mention the strange salary adjustments. If she’s not working enough hours, that’s her problem. The math does not substantiate the numbers reported.
Politicians and reporters often talk out of both sides of their mouths without being qualified to speak on things. The news was way off just a few weeks ago with the Boston bombings, and all they had to say was “oops”. Governor Sandoval has learned to say things that sound sufficiently vague so that they can change in nuances of meaning as he changes the advocacy group he decides to support. Yes, he will still end furloughs. That’s all that will change. In essence, we will then go to work for six more days for which we will receive no extra compensation at a time when he finds money for all sorts of pet projects from Clark County to Carson City.
Even with all of that, I know enough to know that I don’t know the whole story. I don’t know the rationale for the decisions they made, the other alternatives, who advocates what, etc. It’s a very complicated process, and that’s why it’s good that more than one person is involved in making that decision. There is no guarantee that any man, no matter how paragonal he may be, will always make the right decision. We are humans; we are apt to make mistakes. What I see of the story leaves a sour taste in my mouth, and I invite Governor Sandoval to justify his priorities, because I don’t feel appreciated. Leaders have two roles- to accomplish the mission and to take care of those who accomplish the mission. Even if you accomplish the former, if you fail at the latter, it can still be a failure. That’s what will live on after Sandoval leaves. Just ask Julius Caesar.
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